According to a story from Ankylosing Spondylitis News, the results of a recent phase 2/3 clinical trial indicate that the drug upadacitinib (marketed as Rinvoq) can be an effective treatment for patients with active, symptomatic ankylosing spondylitis that have failed to respond to treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Rinvoq is currently approved as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.
About Ankylosing Spondylitis
Ankylosing spondylitis is a rare form of arthritis which is characterized by long term inflammation of the spinal joints. Other joints may also be affected. The precise cause of ankylosing spondylitis has not been identified. A host of environmental and genetic factors may play a role; for example, a study found that the majority of patients in the UK presented with the HLA-B27 antigen. The onset of ankylosing spondylitis symptoms often begins in early adulthood. These symptoms may include relapsing/remitting back pain, progressive joint stiffening, fatigue, fever, and weight loss. Inflammation can spread to other parts of the body, such as the eyes, the cardiovascular system, and lungs. No cure for the disease exists, so treatment focuses on pain management and slowing disease progression. Treatment may include NSAIDs, opioids, TNF inhibitors, physical therapy, surgery, and some others. Unfortunately, most therapies can cause serious side effects with long term use. To learn more about ankylosing spondylitis, click here.
About The Clinical Trial
The study found that after 14 weeks, treatment with Rinvoq was twice as useful as placebo in improving patient symptoms. 52 percent of patients saw an improvement of at least 40 percent, but this only happened to 26 percent of the placebo group. Patients also experienced improved quality of life and an overall reduction in disease activity. The drug is designed as an orally available tablet that is taken once per day. Rinvoq is categorized as a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor.
The clinical trial included a total of 187 patients. The first section of the study was the standard, 14 week long treatment period which was followed by an open label extension that was implemented to monitor long term effects of use. 62 percent of patients experienced adverse events will using Rinvoq, the most common one being creatine phosphokinase elevation, which suggests possible tissue damage.
Overall, the results indicate that Rinvoq could be an effective treatment method for ankylosing spondylitis patients that do not respond to other approaches.
Check out the original study here.
